Russian film critic who previously criticized authorities detained in Moscow

The Russian Investigative Committee detained film critic Ekaterina Barabash in Moscow, her son Yuri Barabash reported on Facebook on Feb. 25.

The reasons for her detention remain unclear, but it is presumed to be linked to her professional activities, including her work for Republic, a Russian publication that was added to the foreign agent media register and banned in March 2022.

Republic Editor-in-Chief Dmitry Kolezev, who recently left Russia, confirmed this on his Telegram channel. Russian state-owned outlet RIA Novosti also confirmed her detention.

Barabash’s legal status and the nature of the case remain unspecified.

Both of her parents were born in Ukraine, and Barabash had publicly supported the country on her social media, most recently on Feb. 23.

Her son, Yuri, has been living and working in Ukraine for many years.

Previously, Barabash was fired from Interfax in 2016 for criticizing Russian authorities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on dissent since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has seen thousands of his citizens arrested and many jailed.

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“The constitutional territories of Russia have not been liberated,” Russian Foreign Ministry’s Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said on Feb. 25.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy